[INT. LAVINIA'S GUEST BEDROOM - NIGHT]

　　LADY MARY

　　Lavinia?

　　[Mary finds Lavinia crying in bed.]

　　LAVINIA

　　You're back.

　　[Mary nods.]

　　LAVINIA

　　How did you get on?

　　LADY MARY

　　All right, I think. How about you?

　　LAVINIA

　　Matthew's told me to go home. He says he won't see me again. He feels he has to set me free, as he put it. I've tried to tell him I don't care, but he won't listen.

　　LADY MARY

　　Then you must keep telling him.

　　LAVINIA

　　Yes, but you see, it isn't just not walking. Today he told me we could never be lovers, because all that's gone as well. I didn't realise. It's probably obvious to anyone with a brain, but I didn't realise.

　　LADY MARY

　　No. No, nor did I.

　　[Mary sits on the bed as she tries to process this news.]

　　LAVINIA

　　And he feels it would be a crime to tie me down, to tie down any woman to the life of a childless

　　nun. He thinks I'd hate him in the end. I'm sorry if I've shocked you, but there's no one else I could talk to about it, and when you came in, I--

　　LADY MARY

　　I'm not shocked. I'm just stunned. And desperately sad.

　　LAVINIA

　　I'll die if I can't be with him.

　　[INT. DINING ROOM - MORNING]

　　[Robert reads the newspaper.]

　　ROBERT, EARL OF GRANTHAM

　　Good God Almighty. "The engagement is announced between Lady Mary Josephine Crawley, eldest daughter of the Earl and Countess of Grantham, and Sir Richard Carlisle, son of Mr and the late Mrs Mark Carlisle of Morningside Edinburgh." Is this why you went to see him? Why didn't you say it'd be in today's paper?

　　LADY MARY

　　I didn't know.

　　ROBERT, EARL OF GRANTHAM

　　Well, surely he asked your permission?

　　LADY MARY

　　I don't think asking permission is his strongest suit.

　　ROBERT, EARL OF GRANTHAM

　　That's very high handed. You can't let him get away with it.

　　LADY EDITH

　　Well, it's done now.

　　[Mr Carson steps forward.]

　　ROBERT, EARL OF GRANTHAM

　　What is it?

　　MR CARSON

　　William's wedding, my lord. If it can be arranged for this afternoon, the indoor staff would like to attend.

　　ROBERT, EARL OF GRANTHAM

　　We don't yet know if Mr Travis will agree to do it.

　　MR CARSON

　　I'm afraid he has very little time to make up his mind.

　　[INT. THE DOWER HOUSE - MORNING]

　　REVEREND TRAVIS

　　This boy is an extremist. How can we know that these are his true wishes? Maybe the kitchen maid somehow hopes to catch at an advantage.

　　VIOLET, DOWAGER COUNTESS OF GRANTHAM

　　Well, what advantage would that be?

　　REVEREND TRAVIS

　　Some widow's dole given by a grateful nation?

　　VIOLET, DOWAGER COUNTESS OF GRANTHAM

　　Mr Travis, can I remind you William Mason has served our family well. At the last, he saved the life, if not the health, of my son's heir. Now he wishes before he dies to marry his sweetheart.

　　REVEREND TRAVIS

　　Yes, but—

　　VIOLET, DOWAGER COUNTESS OF GRANTHAM

　　You cannot imagine that we would allow you to prevent this happening in case his widow "claimed her dole".

　　REVEREND TRAVIS

　　No, but--

　　VIOLET, DOWAGER COUNTESS OF GRANTHAM

　　I have had an interest in this boy. I tried and failed to save him from conscription, but I will certainly attend his wedding. Is that an argument in its favour?

　　REVEREND TRAVIS

　　Of course, but—

　　VIOLET, DOWAGER COUNTESS OF GRANTHAM

　　Finally, I would point out your living is in Lord Grantham's gift. Your house is on Lord Grantham's land, and the very flowers in your church are from Lord Grantham's garden. I hope it is not vulgar in me to suggest that you find some way to overcome your scruples.

　　[INT. ETHEL'S HOUSE - DAY]

　　MRS HUGHES

　　You can't have expected much more. Not when those letters all went unanswered.

　　ETHEL

　　I don't know what I expected, but you can't help hoping.

　　MRS HUGHES

　　Have you found any work?

　　ETHEL

　　Bit of scrubbing. There aren't many places I can take the baby.

　　MRS HUGHES

　　What do you tell them?

　　ETHEL

　　That my husband died at the front.

　　MRS HUGHES

　　It's funny, we have a new maid, Jane, who really is a war widow with a child and we respect her for it. But then, we believe her story.